Bharat Chipli's 42 off 22 balls set the tone as Mumbai Spartans posted 160/8, though they squandered momentum in the middle overs. Asad Pathan's 25 from 32 deliveries showed the middle order struggled to build on the opening fireworks. Sreesanth and Amit Verma strangled the innings with 2/23 and 2/29 respectively, restricting the back end to just 44 runs across the last six overs.
India Tigers needed 8.0 an over to chase but managed only 7.15. Kamau Leverock's 49 off 37 kept them competitive through the middle phases, while Kuldeep Hooda added 45 from 41 as the pair shared 73 runs off 78 balls. The damage was done early—Samit Patel's 1/13 restricted the powerplay to 38/1, but Tigers never shifted pace when it mattered. They reached 143/6, falling 17 short.
The difference lay in intent. Chipli's strike rate of 190 exposed Tiger bowlers during the first six; Leverock's 132 came too late. Mumbai's seam attack—particularly Sreesanth's economy of 5.75—outthought the batsmen when dots counted. Tigers fired in bursts but never sustained pressure. One aggressive phase from Chipli proved more valuable than two from Leverock playing catch-up.